What is it? Hidden on an upstairs courtyard facing a fountain under towering high-rises, Venetian cicchetti (bar snacks)-inspired Bar Sprezzatura is a cocktail destination and one of the sexiest dining rooms in the city.
Why we love it: I don’t use sexy casually. Bar Sprezzatura’s (affectionately titled Bar Sprz) all-day space transports you to Venice in a glass-walled dining room marked by tan and soft blue velvet seating and Parisian-esque street lamps. From day into night, it’s seductive, alluring and glowing, with service from a gracious team that includes Italian expats like longtime SF bar pioneer Carlo Splendorini, Raymundo Delgado and chef Joseph Offner.
This team keeps it delicious with Offner’s winning cichetti, crudo, pastas, salads and decadence like Stracci & Caviar: Caviar Co. caviar atop stracciatella cheese with pears, asparagus and cured egg yolk. Splendorini, Delgado and team’s cocktails are gorgeous, from creative Negronis and spritzes to elevated classics and house cocktails. In true Venetian form, some of the cocktails come with paired cicchetti. Expect fun like Tutto Fumo, a cocktail of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind-washed Manojo Mezcal with apricot, Calabrian chilies, honey, lemon and frothy egg whites. Also expect thoughtful non-alcoholic cocktails and a deep, regional Italy wine list.
We especially love the staff’s exuberant spirit and consummate professionalism that imparts soul to this elegant space.
Time Out tip: Spirits lovers like me lose their mind for classic bottles, and they have a whole selection, from 1960s–1980 amari, to vintage vermouth. For $50, you can get a vintage Negroni made with these historic spirits and sip what it would have tasted like in decades past.
Address: One Maritime Plaza #100, San Francisco, 94111
Opening hours: Mon–Wed 11am–9pm; Thu, Fri 11am–10pm; Sat 4–10pm
Expect to pay: Cocktails run $14–$24; dishes $5–$32